How Rob Reiner Completely Altered the Ending of ‘When Harry Met Sally’ After Meeting His Wife Michele

Rob Reiner solidified his place in movie history with the release of When Harry Met Sally in 1989. Starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, the film became a major hit and earned an Academy Award nomination. However, the film’s ending was originally planned to be very different. It wasn’t until Reiner met his future wife, Michele, that he decided to make a change to the conclusion of the story.

Tragically, Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found deceased in their Brentwood, Los Angeles home on Sunday. Police are in the early stages of their investigation, treating the case as a potential homicide.

Reiner had an illustrious career in Hollywood, starting as an actor in the sitcom All In The Family before transitioning into directing several beloved films, including When Harry Met Sally. While the film was a major success, it wasn’t the only significant event for Reiner in 1989; it was also the year he married Michele.

The couple met while Reiner was directing When Harry Met Sally, and their romance blossomed during the production. At that time, Reiner had been single since his 1981 divorce from actress and director Penny Marshall.

Not only did Reiner fall in love with Michele, but she also played a key role in inspiring a major change in the film’s ending. Reiner decided to alter the originally planned conclusion to a more heartwarming one after meeting her.

Why Rob Reiner Changed the Ending of When Harry Met Sally After Meeting Michele

In a conversation with CNN earlier this year, Reiner shared his thoughts on the original ending of the film. He explained, “The original ending we had was that Harry and Sally didn’t get together. I had been married for 10 years, and then I had been single for 10 years, and I couldn’t figure out how I was ever going to be with anybody. And that gave birth to When Harry Met Sally.”

Reiner went on to explain that, at the time, he hadn’t “met anybody.” Therefore, the initial idea was for Harry and Sally to reconnect after many years, have a conversation, and then part ways.

However, those who remember the film or have watched it recently know that the ending turned out much differently. In the final version, Harry rushes to a New Year’s Eve party to declare his love for Sally. In the iconic scene, he tells her, “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon